On Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:14:50 -0500 Tim <ignored_mail...@yahoo.com.au>
wrote:

> Tim:
> >> But why?  One of the main points of scripting is automation.
> 
> Ranjan Maitra:
> > Yes, but then it gets hardcoded in your .fetchmailrc file in plain
> > text. Is that desirable?
> 
> Who else gets to see *your* .fetchmailrc file?  In the normal run of
> things, these days, your homespace isn't accessible to other users,
> neither are the files in it.  If it is, then you've got plenty of other
> security concerns to worry about.

I guess I worry that there is always the chance that the account
may be broken into and compromised.....

> And if you're not using an encrypted connection, your password is
> (often) transmitted in clear text, anyway.  That's far more susceptible
> to snooping than a file stored on your computer.  Likewise with various
> other /rather dumb/ authentication protocols.
> 

I use ssl. Not sure if that takes into account your concerns, but in
any case, the one-time transmittal (in clear text if so, though
doubtful) seems to me may be a tad bit less worrisome than passwords
(assuredly clear-text) in an omnipresent .fetchmailrc. 

> > I would rather have it prompt for the few times I have to initiate the
> > process....
> 
> Well, as I said, try it and see what happens.  

Not clear how this pertains to my response.

You asked in your earlier e-mailed response (to someone else) why one would 
choose to not include the
password in clear text in the .fetchmailrc. I wrote one possible
reasoning which is also my concern. Unfortunately, I am not sure that
your response indicates that my concerns are not valid.

Of course, as is the beauty of linux, to each his own...

Ranjan
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